Introducing Setting In Opening Scenes 1 - 'The Shining'

'The Shining'

I also noticed that opening scenes often focus on introducing the setting to the audience. 

The first film I'm going to look at for setting is 'The Shining'. 

This film starts off following a small car driving through lots of different settings in the mountains.

 

There is creeping, sinister music playing which gives the audience an idea that it is a horror film and that the environment is dangerous. We are shown all the destinations the car drives through so we know how far away the car is going and that clearly it takes a long time to get there and to leave. As the camera is zoomed out and we don't see any people or any other cars it shows the audience that they are very far away from civilisation. 

The setting is inhospitable even when the hotel is shown as it already looks quite scary and haunted. It creates the expectation that whoever finds themselves there is in danger and something bad will happen. As the location is so far away from everything it would be impossible to get to safety and no one would hear you scream.